Derrick Rose ‘not anywhere close to playing’

The Chicago Bulls are a pretty good team without Derrick Rose, but they’re a championship contender when the former league MVP is healthy. Questions about Rose’s recovery from knee surgery have persisted over the past several months for obvious reasons. Unfortunately for Bulls fans, though Rose is working with the team, he’s apparently still far from playing in games.

“He’s right where he’s always been,” coach Tom Thibodeau said on Sunday, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “Each week he’ll do a little bit more. He’s doing more basketball stuff, but he’s still not anywhere close to playing. He’s got a long way to go for that.

“He’s doing all the non-contact stuff in practice. None of the contact stuff, but he’s doing well overall.”

Working with the team in non-contact drills in practice is a good sign, but the day Rose is cleared to return is what everyone is waiting for. The Bulls point guard tore his ACL late in April, and recovery generally takes at least nine months. Chicago would be wise to hold Rose out until they feel he is completely ready to return. As long as they’re able to get in position to clinch a decent playoff spot without him, there is no reason to rush him back. The Bulls are currently 16-12.